Holiday Eggnog

The holidays are such a wonderful thing to look forward to when you’re a kid. I have memories of the slightly burned smell of dust from the heater being started for the winter, mingled with the resiny, glorious aroma of the pine tree in the corner sparkling with ornaments. The chill outside made for rosy cheeks and numb fingers that were slowly thawed with a hot bowl of soup or by hanging out in front of that aforementioned heater.

It’s also filled with memories of my mom making eggnog from scratch, slowly stirring the hot milk into the egg yolks so the egg didn’t cook, creating a wonderfully thick, rich drink dancing with spices. While I may spike my eggnog these days, there’s still that sense of warmth and family when I drink my one and only eggnog for the holiday season. It’s a little too rich for more than one evening, but I always use the extra nog (rum free) to make festive pancakes on Christmas morning.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring milk, cream, vanilla bean, and spices just to boil.
Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture, mixing with a wire whisk until well blended. Slowly whisk egg mixture back into the saucepan.
Cook and stir on medium-low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
For a frothy treat, pour eggnog and rum in a martini shaker. Add ice and cap it, then shake for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass and garnish with cinnamon.